My Hong Kong Tattoo

As planned Amy-lou and I wanted to get our next tattoos together, I'm a strong believer in tattoos having meanings and holding memories with them. 

After researching where in Hong Kong there is a decent, trustworthy place to get tattooed, Star Crossed Tattoo was mentioned the most. 

And rightly so as they were brilliant, professional, creative and honest. 

I would strongly recommend anyone visiting or living in Hong Kong considering a tattoo to pop over to Tsim Sha Tsui, 10 minutes from the station down Granville Rd. 

Check out their website: Star Crossed Tattoo

Our tattooist Jack was funnily enough from Cornwall! Amy-lou's home land, the world is really a small place! Apart from his cool warm manner, his talent in design was pleasantly impressive. 

I wanted a tattoo that meant something to me personally and went with the tribal theme I seem to have picked up somewhere along the 22 years of my life... So I chose to ink myself with patriotic pride and take the sun from the Argentina flag. 

Amy-lou had been umming and ahhing for a while including mixes of feathers, birds and cantonese symbols, with the honest opinion of our tattooist, she ended with a beautiful feather, simple!

Amy-Lou's feather.

MaySun.

The Sun on the Argentina flag represents the month of May. Pronounced 'Mason' this in chinese means God of Beauty. 

We highly recommend Jack at Star Crossed Tattoo. Great artist and has a lovely face too. Win! 

Ria 

x

My Hong Kong Adventure

To all fellow bloggers: I apologise for the lack of blogging commitment. Somehow I have neglected my dear little blog, which will now excuse my need for an epic blog.


The Giant Buddha


One of the World's Wonders, a must when visiting the East, The Giant Buddha is like seeing a mass of tranquility. Needless to say, I was anything but tranquil on the way there. For those with random spouts of anxiety you will understand where I am coming from, for others you will think I am a complete and utter tit who didn't make the most out of the visit. 


In order to get to the Giant Buddha, you must either a) get a bus or b) get the Ngong Ping 360 degree view cable car. So b it was. We even opted for the "crystal cable car" which meant not only could you see the epic view from the sides, if you looked down, you were walking on trees. Brilliant stuff for an ex-clostrophobic with a tendency to enter panic mode in any hint of danger. 


All was well until the doors fully shut and it hit me; the only way I was going to be leaving this glass cabin within the next 25 minutes was if I were to jump 500m to my death. The hyperventilating begun and i was soon sobbing, swearing and sweating for dear life. 
My lovely friend Lee Mason documented this journey, and to my delight, created a wonderful trailer and full video. Lucky for Lee, I can laugh at myself! 


Click for: Trailer and Video


So after what seemed an absolute eternity, we reached the beautiful sitting Buddha.

It goes without saying, my epic panic attack was well worth the epic wonder that is
The Giant Buddha. 


Mm Goy Sai ( Thank you in Cantonese ) 


Ria 
x

New Romantic

Being in Love... with Love.
Dreaming as a ten year old, you imagine the day that your prince will come whisk you away and you'll both gallop off into the distance named happily ever after.
This prince, of course will be your perfect man; funny, kind, generous, creative, handsome and above all romantic.

Long loving relationships, disgustingly painful heartbreaks, lusting summer flings and a few occasional drunken stumbles later and your find yourself falling out of Love with Love.
This new generation of independent women who don't actually want or need a boyfriend, is it sad? Have our hearts turned stone cold as a result of this fast pacing 'love life' we seem to accumulate? Have we decided to ignore Love in a bid to dodge any incoming heartbreaks? Have our careers replaced Love?

And so I return to my trusting Carrie...

"But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you, you love, well, that's just fabulous"

Laura Marling- New Romantic.. an inspiring song for all those fellow "Independent" women out there...

Ria
x

Carey Mulligan...

This amazingly talented Actress is round about where I would like to be in about 5 years time... The connection she creates with the viewer is pure talent.
Beautiful in every way
Carey Mulligan, the next Audrey Hepburn...

♥

Carrie Bradshaw...

She may be fictional... But she is there 100% for us ladies when we need her.
I can understand the male point of view, Sex and the City? It's just a bunch of man-hating slags who like to do lunch and cocktail it up.
But it's oh so much more than that! Every issue that is raised in this programme feels like it's being read out of the viewers diary. We completely relate to what these wise women are feeling and we lap it up, just like the sharks we are.

Here's a select few of my favourite quote's.

"When you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious. You could break a bone or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes you don't leap at all because there's not always someone there to catch you. And in life, there's no safety net."

"Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous"

And my all time fave...

"Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they need to run free until they find someone just as wild to run with."

And with that, I shall carry on running...

♥

Regina Spektor...

This lyrically talented lady has been an absolute saviour to all my down days.
I can remember the first time I heard her voice.
Sitting in my tiny box of a room at Avery Hill Campus. It was Spring time and going through possibly the worst year of my life I spent most of my time perched on my window sill smoking my lungs out...
One of these days, sitting on my sill in the company of my other saviour (Amy-Lou) We hear the distinctive tune of 'Fidelity' coming from a neighbouring window in the courtyard.
It was Love at first hearing!
Amy-lou then introduced me to the rest of her album and I have been hooked ever since.

Regina Spektor- You are a Genius. Thank you for everything <3

Yes Woman!

Sinead and the Dawnbreakers...
This gorgeous 60's inspired lady is not only extremely talented, she's absolutely lovely too!

Having seen Sinead and the Dawnbreakers at a random gig in London, my friend Amy-Lou and I fell in love almost instantly!
Searching high and low for their album over the internet, failing miserably, we decided it was not meant to be...
Cafe de Paris in Leicester Square were holding Sinead's next gig, so I took this opportunity to head on into central on my lonesome and purchase the album from Sinead herself along with a lovely autograph... all in aid of Amy-Lou's birthday of course!

Having listened in awe and danced like a crazy loner for a good hour or so, I approached the lovely Irish lass herself, not only did she autograph the album she then offered me to come and 'hang out' with her and the band!!
I sadly had to turn down this offer seeing as I had to get back home to do a uni project that was due in the next day (typical me).

Her lyrics get me every time... there is a song for every mood on that album, Sinead we Love you!